


his hair's a mess and he doesn't know who he is yet

by CrimsonFandomTrash



Series: Detroit: Before Human [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed-centric, Gen, Good Elijah Kamski, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, Trans Character, Trans Gavin Reed, Trans Male Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 09:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16082978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonFandomTrash/pseuds/CrimsonFandomTrash
Summary: He doesn't know how long he stayed like that, but there were eventually noises from downstairs. Yelling. His eyes flew open as he recognized the voices; his mother, and Elijah. "What the hell is wrong with you, crazy bitch?""ME? What do you mean what's wrong with me?! She's the one upstairs cross-dressing like a freak!""Stop talking about my brother like that!"





	his hair's a mess and he doesn't know who he is yet

   Ring... Ring... "Come on, pick up, pick up..." Ring... Rin-

   "Gav?"

   The sound of Elijah's voice on the other end nearly sent Gavin into another crying fit, but the thought that it wouldn't be productive held him back from bursting into tears again. Just barely. "Eli, I need you to come over, I... I told mom, and she freaked out, and-"

   "You told  _mom_?" Elijah sounded absolutely stunned. "Dude, you know she's a crazy bitch. I told you to just chill until you were eighteen and away from her."

   The valid criticisms, unfortunately, don't help Gavin at this moment. And it definitely doesn't help the panic attack that's rising in his chest. "Just come over, please, I'm locked in my bedroom closet, she a-attacked me."

   "I'm on my way over, hang tight." Gavin had barely been able to finish his sentence before Elijah had replied. 

   "Hurry..."

   And then Eli hung up the phone, no doubt rushing out the door. Gavin curled up as small as he could, head rested in between his knees as he wrapped his arms around himself. He doesn't know how long he stayed like that, but there were eventually noises from downstairs. Yelling. His eyes flew open as he recognized the voices; his mother, and Elijah.  _"What the hell is wrong with you, crazy bitch?"_

_"ME? What do you mean what's wrong with me?! She's the one upstairs cross-dressing like a freak!"_   
_  
"Stop talking about my brother like that!"_

   He knew he should stay in here and just wait for Eli to come to his rescue, but as soon as the sound of things crashing rings off in his ears, Gavin's on his feet, unlocking the door to the closet and running down the steps so quickly he almost tripped over them. Unfortunately, his mother had been the closest one to the stairs, and as soon as she'd spotted him out of his hiding place, she grabbed him by the hair, yanked him down the remaining steps as he struggled to keep his balance, wincing. "This? This is not a boy! I was there when she was born, I know better!"

   Elijah turns red in the face, brows furrowing, lips pulling down in a frown as he goes over and slaps her,  _hard_. Normally speaking, Elijah wasn't a violent person, especially not towards females, but it definitely makes her let go of Gavin as her hand flies up to her cheek- more out of shock that it had happened than from the actual pain of the slap. The older of the brothers takes this as an opportunity to get Gavin to safety, grabbing his younger brother by the wrist and tugging him away from her. He gets in front of Gavin with his arm outstretched. "Leave him alone."

   "She's not a boy." His mother growled through gritted teeth. "She's  _sick_."

   "Get out of the way," Elijah warns, voice getting low. She just scowls. "I said get out of the way!"  
  
   "Why?" She demanded. Gavin didn't miss the hateful glare she shot at him. 

   "So my  _brother_ can grab his stuff. I'm not leaving him here with you."

   "If you leave with her, I'll call the fucking cops for kidnapping!"

   "And if you don't get out of the fucking way, I'll call them first for child abuse!"

   Even hidden behind Eli, it doesn't help the feeling of anxiety that curls up and dies in his stomach as his mother shoots him another hateful look. She doesn't say anything else. She just stares at him like he'd just pissed in her fucking Cheerios, or set her most prized possession on fire before she turns on her heel and stomps to the kitchen, her heels clicking against the floor with every step.

   Elijah turns and leans down to his level as soon as she's out of sight, resting his hand on Gavin's shoulder. "Go get your stuff. Anything you'll need for the next week." Gavin only nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He ran back up the steps. 

   Unsatisfied with the clothing in his own room, Gavin only grabbed his backpack before going into what used to be Elijah's room, before the divorce. He took the backpack and started filling it with some of his brother's old clothes, knowing he more than likely wouldn't care. Most of this stuff didn't even fit him anymore, and his wardrobe where he lived now was already plenty big enough. The benefits of being a Kamski- being filthy rich. Gavin, unfortunately, was a Reed. 

   After packing a few other things, such as his shower stuff, his phone charger, a couple extra pads (although he wished desperately he didn't need those last items), he slung the backpack over his shoulder, zipped up his hoodie, and walked back down the stairs. To his dismay, his mother had gone back into the living room. To his advantage, Elijah was sat at the bottom of the steps, and he clearly had no intention of letting her past him. As soon as his older brother had noticed him coming down the steps, he turned his head to look at Gavin, stood to his feet, and waited there at the bottom. Elijah didn't waste any time in wrapping an arm around him as soon as he got to the bottom of the steps, sending Gavin's mother a hateful glared that she returned along with a middle finger and a puff of smoke from the cigarette in her hand. 

   Elijah didn't give her the time of day to return either of those last two 'fuck you' gestures. He looked back at Gavin. There's a nasty scratch mark going diagonally across the bridge of his nose, probably from his bitch mother's claw-like nails. It was more than likely going to scar. "Come on, let's get out of here." And they walked out the front door. Gavin heard the sound of heels from inside before click. The sound of the door being locked. He couldn't go back in even if he wanted to.

   The car ride is quiet. Elijah takes his eyes off the road for a couple seconds every few minutes. Gavin is so quiet, it's almost like he's not even in the car with him. "I hate her."

    It's the first thing he's said the entire time. "Me, too, buddy. No wonder my dad left her ass. Jesus fuckin' Christ." He looks over at his younger brother again. Gavin's eyes are downcast. "I can't get you away from her forever, though. She's still your legal guardian."

   "I know..." 

   "I'm gonna help you as much as I can." Elijah offered. "There's not really much I can do for you, but I'll do what I can."

   "Can..."

   He'd stopped there. "Can...?" 

   "Can you... Give me a haircut?"

   Elijah blinked. "You want me to give you a haircut?"

   "You don't have to," Gavin muttered. "It's just that... I really don't like my hair being this long."

   Gavin's hair fell down a little bit past his shoulders, curling at the ends naturally. It was possibly one of the girliest hairstyles ever. No wonder he wanted it gone. "Yeah, I can do that for you, bro."

   He'd had his rearview mirror turned ever so slightly toward Gavin. He barely had to look away from the road in order to see the way the younger man's face lit up. "Thank you, Eli."  
___________________________

   Both brothers watched as the last bit of light brown hair fell onto the kitchen floor. "Alright, I think we're done." He picked up a mirror from the countertop next to them and handed it to Gavin. Fingers gripped around the small handheld mirror, Gavin lifted it to face-level. 

   For the first time ever, he saw himself staring back. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "I mean, I'm no hair stylist, but, I think it looks good."

   "I love it." He stood from the chair he'd been sitting on and wrapped his older brother in a tight hug. Elijah wrapped his arms back around him, and Gavin rested his head on his shoulder. 

   "It suits you, Gav."

**Author's Note:**

> For some backstory- Gavin was born a girl, named Genevive Ann Reed. His father was never in the picture, so he had his mother's maiden name. Years passed, and eventually, 'Genevive' was in elementary school when his mother met a man, a rich business owner. They got married a couple years later when Gavin had just entered middle school. His mother took on the last name Kamski, and he gained a stepbrother named Elijah. 
> 
> The marriage didn't last long, only a year. Gavin was only in eighth grade when it broke off, and Elijah moved back in with his dad. They kept in touch, and later that year, Gavin had come to terms with the fact that he wasn't a girl. Elijah was the first to know and even helped his little brother pick out a name. 
> 
> This takes place in late 2018, just before Elijah founded Cyberlife. 
> 
>  
> 
> Hi don't @ me but Gavin Reed is a wonderful gay trans man. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.


End file.
